Communiqué issued at the end of the workshop on Building Community Radio For Democratic Governance In Nigeria, held at Signature Hotel, Enugu, Nigeria.

This communiqué was issued by participants at the two-day Workshop on Building Community Radio for Democratic Governance in Nigeria which was held in Enugu, Enugu State, on October 18 and 19, 2013.

The programme was organised by the Institute for Media and Society (IMS) in collaboration with the Nigeria Community Radio Coalition (NCRC) with support from Democratic Governance for Development (DGD II) project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The DGD II project is a joint donor-funded project managed by the UNDP in support of deepening democracy in Nigeria.

The participants were drawn from grassroots communities establishing community radio stations, civil society and community-based organizations and the media in the South-East and South-South zones of the country.

The objective of the workshop was to expand citizens participation in the democratic process and particularly, to build the capacity of grassroots groups for active participation in the deepening of democracy in Nigeria through the use of community radio.

Observations

Participants observed as follows:

Communities in the South-East and South-South zones of the country are in dire need of effective grassroots communication facilities, in particular, community radio, and many of them have attained advanced levels in the establishment process of this medium.

The process of granting radio licences to grassroots communities has dragged for too long, despite the directive of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2010 that the licensing should start immediately.

Community radio has immense potentials for helping the various development agenda of government, such the various peace building and other initiatives in the Niger Delta and the South East.

All over the world, including Nigeria’s neighbouring countries, community radio continues to be part and parcel of the process of deepening democracy and development.

Recommendations

The participants recommended as follows:

The regulatory body, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) should commence the issuance of community radio licences to communities without further delay – in line with the directive of the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria in October 2010.

Federal Government agencies whose mandate is for community and rural development should partner with grassroots communities and civil society groups for communication skill building towards the success of the electoral process in Nigeria.

The Nigeria Community Radio Coalition (NCRC) should intensify collaborations with media organizations to conduct awareness and sensitisation activities on community radio development for more communities in the South-East and South-South zones

Communities intending to establish community radio should intensify their efforts and ensure that appropriate steps are followed in the process, to enable the emergence of viable community radio stations.

International development agencies should continue to support the efforts of communities in the area of capacity building targeted for the development of community radio in Nigeria.

International development agencies should promote the advocacy for community radio licensing in Nigeria by making it a part of their agenda to government.

Adopted and issued in Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria, this 19th day of October 2013.